Global, local, or glocal identity of EFL learners as ELF users

ENGLISH:

The phenomenon of English globalization has led to the study of English as a lingua franca (ELF) used among speakers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds who do not share a common first language which has created some sense of identity of the L2 learners in ELF communication (Sung, 2014). However, there is still lack of observation of EFL learners’ identities in ELF context so that it becomes the topic discussed in this study. The purposes of this study are to find out how English as global language constructed in the curriculum document, how EFL learners construct their subject positions in relation to English as a global language, and the identity constructed by EFL learners based on Sung (2014).

This research is categorized as a case study in which it explores how the participants are positioning themselves towards ELF phenomenon so that it might reveal the identity tendency of the participants. This study is also a critical applied linguistic study which combines Norton’s (2013) theory of identity and subject position’s notion by Foucault explained by Walshaw (2007) to reveal participants’ subjectivity. This post-structural study also uses FDA (Foucauldian Discourse Analysis) to help the researcher finds out participants’ identities and subjectivities. The other Foucault’s notion such as regimes of truth, technology of the self, normalization and surveillance were also analyzed in this study. The data sources were taken from the result of semi-structured interview of four participant majoring in English study. Moreover, additional data were taken from curriculum document of the universities. It helps to find out neoliberal activities in the universities. The data were analyzed using the identity theory of Norton, FDA, and identity classification by Sung (2014).

The results of the study indicate that two of the participants have shown different identity (Norton, 2006). The first participant tends to have global and glocal identities at the same time relating to her university and department policy. The second participant shows her local identity since she does not concern in certain accent, and global identity since she admits that English is equated to progress and modernity (Bunce et. al., 2016). The third participant seems to have global identity because she directly mentioned that she wants to have British accent. The last participant has shown her global identity by admitting that she tends to have American accent. Moreover, universities’ curriculum document policy seems to have a role in their students’ tendency of identities and subjectivities construction.